1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driver model used to reproduce a travel along a set target course (for example, an obstacle avoidance course by a lane change and a turning) through a simulation and assistance function evaluation apparatus and method for a vehicle dynamics control system in which the driver model is equipped.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, vehicle control systems have become highly functionalized and highly complicated at an acceleration pace from advances of electronics and from social security and environment demands. In addition, a shortening of a development interval of time to put commercial products into a market at an appropriate timing is a problem to be solved. As means having a possibility of solving these problems, attention has been paid to control system development utilizing a control system CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) tool. Control system development techniques utilizing the control system CAE tool include: SILS (Software In the Loop) in which an object to be controlled and a control unit are modeled; and HILS (Hardware In the Loop Simulation) in which the object to be controlled is modeled and the control unit as an actual object is used. In a case where a control system is developed using such a technique as described above, it is very effective when such a usage that predetermined signals are inputted to ECU (Electronic Control Unit) is carried out. Many markers and control system suppliers already utilize such a technique as described above. However, in the development of the control system (especially a travel (running) control system), inputs of a steering wheel, an accelerator, and a brake are carried out by a vehicle driver (viz., a human being). Hence, in a case where a function guarantee of the control system is carried out, it becomes necessary to provide the inputs, with the driver intention and action taken into consideration, for the control system and to take a balance between the driver intention and action and an operation of the control system. A Japanese Patent Application First Publication No. 2002-260143 published on Sep. 13, 2002 exemplifies a previously proposed AHS (Automated Highway System) evaluation apparatus in which a driver model is equipped as an apparatus for supporting a development of the control system with the driver intention and action taken into consideration. In addition, although in a research phase, a vehicle drive motion analysis of a skilled driver is carried out to aim at an application of this analysis to a travel-system (running-system) control system (for example, refer to 2003 Automotive Engineering Society Autumn Meeting Preprints No. 77-03, in 2003).